INWO Deck -- Save the Earth...for Us!

By Doug Ingram

The Deck

Illuminati

Groups

Resources

Plots

If no duplicates allowed, then replace duplicates with:

This deck was designed by Doug Ingram (ingram@u.washington.edu). It works under the following rules:

When I design decks, I'm generally reluctant to include a lot of rares. At least, I try not to include rares that are crucial to the deck. In this case, though, I can't offer alternatives for all the rares. I will say that the most important rare cards here are Canada and The Big Prawn. The Red Cross is also rather important, especially in a game against Cthulhu, since it offers additional disaster protection and some peaceful power. There are other groups that have similar functions compared to Swingers and Underground News (Eco-Guerrilas comes to mind, for example, and there are other Liberal and/or Green groups). The other rares and their alternatives will be discussed below.

Strategy

Lead

Well, even though it's obvious for Shangri-La, I suggest a lead of Vatican City. If that bounces, go for Canada. Assuming you have the Vatican out, get out the Orbital Mind Control Lasers on your first turn if you have it in your hand (50% chance). Now you've got an easy defense against an early ambush by a power-monger like Bavaria since you are immune to Peaceful groups. It's also important to get and KEEP the Lasers out, though this can be extremely difficult. There are a few plot cards in the deck to help you with this. Just remember, your 2nd most important goal in this game is to get and keep control of the Orbital Mind Control Lasers. Do whatever it takes to do that. You can win without them, but it is much more difficult. Your MOST important goal in the game is to ensure "NWO Blue: World Hunger" doesn't come out (or stay out)...keep your Blue NWO aside for this emergency.

Early Game

Build slowly. If you get a power increase plot card, put it in play ASAP. The best combinations are:

First, let's look at the Lama. Unless you get Messiah into your hand early, you'll want to boost the Lama's power ASAP since he gets to defend all of your other Green groups as a free move. If you get Messiah, clearly the Lama is the best choice with Princess Di second best. It's pretty easy to have a power 8 or 9 Lama at the end of your second turn. Give Shangri-La its normal +5 against attacks in addition to the free move capability, and you won't have to worry about people attacking you all that much, even if you spend your tokens.

You'll want to get France's power up as high as possible quickly as well for the same reason. With a powered-up France and Lama in the game and all of those Liberal/Green groups, you're damned hard to attack. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS by liberally spending the action tokens from your groups to inhibit the growth of other players. This is crucial because you don't have that many offensive plot cards. Make your power felt through action tokens whenever you can.

As for groups, I've already implied it above, but you'll want to get out France and Lama pretty quickly. France, in fact, is a good third priority lead behind the Vatican and Canada.

Offense and Defense

Defensively, as I've said, your groups and natural bonuses are going to be tough to overcome. If Cthulhu is in the game or someone looks disaster-happy (with groups that aid disasters), then get the Red Cross out on the first turn, if possible. Just be sure those disasters, when they do get played, go toward someone else's places. Also, a nice idea is to offer any Cthulhu player an Oil Spill card in trade for a promise not to throw any disasters your way. It'll have a better chance to succeed if Cthulhu plays it.

Probably your biggest enemy, as a group, is Newt Gingrich, who has a base chance of +14 to destroy Liberal groups (his mere presence nullifies your +5 extra defense as Shangri-La for your Liberal groups). If he comes out, do something to neutralize him, if necessary with the OMCL's (turn him violent so he's eligible to be destroyed, then attack with all of the Liberal/Peaceful power you own). Get help if you need it. Cut deals. The three most dangerous cards in the game for you are (in order):

World Hunger, Newt Gingrich, (someone else's) OMCL's

Offensively, you'll be limited in destroying things by the fact you're Shangri-La, and there won't be too many groups out there (probably) that fit well enough into your power structure that it will be worth the effort to steal them away from someone else. So you'll need to concentrate on using your power to interfere with (or help) the actions of other players. Don't hesitate to do it, keeping in mind your strong defensive position.

General Strategy

I include "Hail Eris!" in the deck because it is easy to get two powerful weird groups in your own structure. With the OMCL's, you can always give yourself another Weird group on a moment's notice if you manage to draw this goal. This is more likely to happen in a long game. In a short game, your best bet for the quick win is the 30 power goal for Peaceful groups. Save your Kinder & Gentler card(s) for OTHER power structures, especially their powerful liberal groups, both because you can then boost them with "Political Correctness" and because you are immune to them if the Vatican is out.

I've avoided the standard Elvis/Church of Elvis that seems to plague all Shangri-La decks because it is predictable and boring. As far as I'm concerned, a Shangri-La player with EITHER of those two cards out is essentially trumpeting out his eventual goal to the rest of the world, which in any INWO game with competent players, is a mortal sin. Remember, you can get to 30 pretty quickly in a variety of weird circumstances (Messiah and Kinder & Gentler creates as much as 12 peaceful power all at once...combined these two with "PC" and you can blind-side a lot of good players, though I'll grant this takes some luck to get the right plot cards).

Finally, if there's another Shangri-La player in the game, it is likely you will work extremely well together. That's because, other than the Vatican, this deck doesn't have other groups that are common to other Shangri-La decks I tend to see. Be sure to role-play this deck...especially if you can get "Pope Lama" under the Vatican.

Thanks to Aaron Curtis for the title suggestion.

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